Grading device for seed.



W. L. LEACH. GRADING DEVICE FOR SEED. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1914.

LIQQMS, Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

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vwmdoz WILLIAM LOGAN LEACH, 0F BROWNWOOID, TEXAS.

'GEAIDING DEVICE FOR SEED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Application filed May 27, 1914. Serial No. 841,275.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVILLIAM- LOGAN LEACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brownwood, in the county of Brown and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grading Devices for Seed; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in grading devices for seed and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be simply and inexpensively constructed and which may be employed for a great number of purposes.

In carrying out the above end, a secondary object of the invention becomes to provide a receiving trough and a number of discharge chutes therefrom and formed integrally therewith, of a single sheet metal plate.

With these and minor objects, in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a grading device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the entire machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the receiving trough removed from the machine, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the metal plate from which the trough and its chutes are formed, showing the cuts necessary in carrying out the above set forth construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my improved seed grader as comprising an elongated rectangular supporting frame 1 which is supported by suitably spaced legs 2, the opposite end bars 3, of

said frame, being provided with longitudinally alined bearings 4, which rise therefrom and receive a longitudinal shaft 5 from which a number of radial spokes 6 project, said spokes having their outer ends passed through longitudinal strips or bars 7 and through hoops 8 which encircle said bars, wire mesh 9 being disposed between said hoops and the bars 7 and secured to the latter. As most clearly seen in Figs.

1 and 3, the outer ends of said spokes 6 are threaded to receive nuts 10 which thereby hold the hoops and strips of the structure thus formed, in concentric relation to the shaft.

As is common with devices of this character, the weave of the wire mesh 9 increases in coarseness from the revolving end of the grading cylinder, formed in the above mentioned manner, to the opposite end thereof, the seed or other material being fed to said receiving end by means of a suitable hop- I per 11 which is rigidly supported upon one end of the frame 1, and which is provided with adownwardly and inwardly inclining chute 12 through which one end of the shaft 5 passes, the opposite end of said shaft being provided with an operating crank 13. 7 From the above described construction, it will be seen that the seed or other material, fed into the grading cylinder will be discharged therefrom at a number of points throughout its length, the size of the seed, discharged at these points, increasing as the size of the wire mesh increases. It, of course, becomes expedient to provide means whereby the different grades of material may be conducted into independent recepta cless For this purpose,'1 have provided a substantially semi-cylindrical trough. which underlies the grading cylinder and has its edges formed with longitudinal flanges 15 which overlie the longitudinal side bars 16 of the frame 1, thereby supporting said trough. For the purpose of providing a number of discharge chutes, a number of deflecting plates 17 are struck downwardly from the lower portion of the trough 14, thus providing means whereby the grading material may be conducted into receptacles and also providing outlet openings for said material. As most clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the plates 17 are struck from rectangular openings and have their opposite edges struck upwardly to provide flanges 18 which increase in height from their upper to their lower ends, thereby causing said plates 16 to decrease in width from their upper to their lower ends. Completing the chutes thus formed, are approximately triangular side walls 19 which are secured in any suitable manner, preferably by riveting, to the flanges 18 and to the lower side of the trough 14., which latter is provided with internal rods 20 which are located between the openings 17 and at the opposite ends of the trough, said rods coacting with the hoops 8 to produce means whereby the material, discharged into one chute, is prevented from being blown into the adjacent chute.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that I have produced an extremely simpledevice which may be used for grading various Kinds of seed, gravel, nuts and numerous other materials, the constructionof the entire machine being extremely simple, particularly that of the trough l4 and its discharge chutes, since no Waste of material occurs when constructing these parts in the above set forth manner.

I have described my invention with considerable minuteness but I do not Wish to be limited to details other, than those amplified in the appended claims.

If desired, a number of slide valves 21 may be employed for the purpose of checking the discharge of seed from the chutes,

said valves being in the form of metal plates having their opposite edges engaged With suitable U-shaped guides 21.

I have described my invention as being employed for grading seed, nuts and various other kinds of material but I may explain that it may be employed 'to great advantage for cleaning and cleansing seed cotton.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and ters Patent is: a

1. In a device of the character described, a trough having a plurality of spaced openings, inclined deflecting plates formed integrally with one edge of the openings, said plates being of an area approximately equal desire to secure by Letto the area of said openings, mately triangular side wallssecured to the side edges of said deflecting plates and to the under side of said trough.

. 2. In a device of the character described, a trough having a plurality of spaced rectangular openings, trapezoidal deflecting plates formed integrally with one edge of said openings, said plates inclining downwardly from their fixed to their free edges and having inclined attaching flanges formed integrally with their side edges, and approximately triangular sidewalls secured at their lower edges to said flanges and at their upper edges to the under side of the trough.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with arectangular supporting frame, flanges formed integrally with its side edges, said flanges overlying two of the sides of said frame, said trough having a plurality of spaced rectangular openings, inclined deflecting plates formed integrally with one edge'o-f said openings, said plates being of approximately the same area as said openings, inclined flanges rising through the side edges of said inclined deflecting plates, and approximately triangular side walls secured to said flanges at their lower edges and to the under side of said trough at their upper edges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LOGAN LEAGH. Witnesses:

A. M. HAYS, EMMETT DAVIS.

and approxi- 40 of a trough having, horizontal 

